Özdere

Özdere
Town in Menderes District
A view of the Aegean Sea from a hill
Özdere Location in Turkey
Coordinates: TR 38°1′3″N 27°7′42″E / 38.01750°N 27.12833°E / 38.01750; 27.12833Coordinates: TR 38°1′3″N 27°7′42″E / 38.01750°N 27.12833°E / 38.01750; 27.12833
Country	Turkey
Region	Aegean
Province	İzmir
District	Menderes
Incorporated	1979 (1979)
Unincorporated	2008 (2008)
Government[1][2]
• Mayor	Bülent Soylu (AKP)
• Governor	Ahmet Ufuk Hasçakal
Area[3]
• Total	85 km2 (33 sq mi)
Highest elevation	100 m (300 ft)
Population [4]
• Total	≈ 15,000
	Can rise to ≲ 100,000 in summer
Demonym(s)	Özdereliler
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	35495
Area code(s)	+90 232
License plate	35
Website	www.ozdere.org

Özdere (English pronunciation: /ˈoʊzˌdɛreɪ/, Turkish pronunciation: [øzdeɾe]) is a Turkish coastal settlement and resort town in the Menderes district of İzmir Province, along the Aegean Sea coast. It has a permanent population of around 15,000 people, which can rise to nearly 100,000 during the summer^{[lower-alpha 1]} as a result of its popularity amongst tourists.^[4][5]

It is located approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) northwest of the nearby resort town of Kuşadası and 70 kilometres (43 mi) to the south of İzmir, the provincial seat. The town is situated within close proximity to numerous historical sites and is accessible via the Kuşadası-Selçuk-Seferihisar-Urla provincial road.^[6]

The area was settled and cultivated long before Turkish administration of the area, which is reflected in the several historical names the town once bore. During the Ottoman period the town was known as Kesri, and it was not until the 1960s that the village underwent a considerable increase in density and population and started to be generally referred to by its current name, Özdere.^[7] On June 3, 1979, a municipality was established in Menderes district under this name, with the official borders of the town being drawn. As of 2015, it was unincorporated as a result of the municipality's dissolution in 2008.^[3]

With a temperate climate and favorable location, the town is a local center of tourism, which its economy is primarily and steadfastly centered upon.^[8] The customs and culture revolve around the behaviors of local business owners, the attire of residents, and its cuisine. Although several pharmacies and doctors practice in the area, as of 2015 the town no longer has an independent municipal health department (Turkish: sağlık ocağı), and such affairs are operated and administered by the district. Numerous schools are located within or near the town and its vicinity.^[3][8]

The ease of access to the town makes the administration of several shuttle buses and share taxis by the province and from central İzmir to Özdere and its beaches possible. Dolmuş and coach buses also operate from the İzmir bus station and from other nearby towns such as Kuşadası and Seferihisar. The town can be reached from the İzmir Adnan Menderes International Airport, where rental car services and taxis can be used to the reach the town center, its neighborhoods, and nearby areas.^[9][10] Ferry and yacht services can be found at several harbors within and near town.^[6][8]

History and toponymy

The ruins of Claros

The areas surrounding the Gulf of İzmir and Karaburun Peninsula have been settled since prehistoric times, with the earliest settlements near Özdere dating back to 5000 B.C.^[4] During the peak of the Bronze Age, during around the 2nd millennium B.C., the nearby lands were referred to as Kasura by resident Hittite clans, which was evidenced by the findings of ancient Arzawan structures and engravings atop the mountains of the peninsula.^[7] Afterwards, when Ionian settlers and surveyors arrived in the area, numerous cities were built and several temples and sites of worship erected within the vicinity of Özdere, which they named Dios Hieron at the time. Nearby Ionian sites include the sanctuaries and cities of Claros, Notion, Teos, Lebedos, Colophon and Myonnessos.^[7][8] In Myonnessos it is possible unearthed ancient coins were minted with the inscriptions MY, although it is more likely that this occurred in Myus, also in Ionia but much farther south.^[11] During this period, the historian Herodotus is also said to have visited the city on his travels across Asian Ionia and Anatolia.^[12][13]

The success of the coastal settlement of Dios Hieron continued into the Hellenistic and Roman conquests of western Anatolia. Previously overshadowed by nearby cities, Dios Hieron now increased in population and status. The city was situated along an important trade route from Ephesus, passing through Claros until the route reached Teos.^[14] In Ionian times, the trade route was even more significant, as their Ancient Olympic Games were hosted in Teos and provided access to the games via the route through the plains of the fertile Aegean Region. It was during the end-B.C.E times and early C.E. that some of the most commonly used measurements of distance between the ancient sites of Ionia were made by the geographer Strabo, measuring approximately 120 stadia between Colophon and Lebedus and 70 between Colophon and Ephesus.^[7][8]

Houses near historic Kesri

The first evidence of Turkish settlements in the area date back to the 14th and 15th centuries. Subsequently after the compromised Byzantine Empire lost many of its former territories to the Seljuk Turks, the fall of the Sultanate of Rum led to the partitioning of Asia Minor into small, loosely associated Anatolian beyliks, or principalities. One of these beyliks was the Principality of Aydın, which at the time reigned over a large southern portion of modern-day Izmir Province and the entire Karaburun Peninsula, as well as the lands of the future province of its namesake. The region which Özdere is located in today was discovered and settled in 1329 by the Aydinid and future Emir (Prince) of Aydın Umur Bey, and at the time was named the village of İpsili. Doğan Bey, who also aided in the expedition, is the namesake of the current town, just west of Özdere today. During the annexation of the principality by the growing Ottoman Empire, which was once a beylik in itself, the areas surrounding İpsili were expanded, and as a result the village of Kesri, in some situations referred to as Kesre, was constructed and founded. The village continued to grow and remained under the same name until the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, when the influence of modern Turkish led the name of the village to be replaced, and during which a drastic intensification of urbanization efforts and the inevitable population increase in the area prompted the district of Menderes to establish the municipality of Özdere within itself.^[3][8]

Geography

A view from Özdere facing east

Özdere is a part of the Turkish Riviera, and is situated along the southern face of the Karaburun Peninsula. As such, it is one of the northern towns of the Gulf of Kuşadası, with its shoreline parallel to the Dilek Peninsula in the south.^[15][16] During the town's incorporation, it was divided into 4 mahalle (neighborhoods). These include the historic town center and the Ottoman village of Kesri in the east, known today as Cumhuriyet Mahallesi; and the other three, composed of the central neighborhood (Turkish: Çukuraltı Mahallesi) in between the others; the westernmost neighborhood (Turkish: Orta Mahallesi), which consists of the coastal community and beaches, bordering the Seferihisar district; and the easternmost neighborhood (Turkish: Ahmetbeyli Mahallesi), which contains the ruins of Claros and borders the district of Selçuk. The total land area of all four mahalle combined was 85 square kilometres (33 sq mi). After the town's dissolution and merge with the city of Menderes and as of the present, these are no longer intact and there are no political boundaries or neighborhoods to the town; however, their context still remains geographically.^[3]

Cliffs overlooking the sea

The town is located approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) from the port town of Kuşadası, 55 km (34 mi) from the Aegean Region's largest city of İzmir and the seat of its province (but a 70 km (43 mi) drive due to road accessibility), 34–40 km (21–25 mi) from the town of Selçuk and its historical sites such as Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary, 40 km (25 mi) from the district's seat of Menderes, and 150 km (93 mi) from Çeşme, the westernmost settlement on the Karaburun Peninsula. The town is within the vicinity of numerous historical sites, many ancient Ionian sanctuaries and cities. Situated about 20 km (12 mi) from Claros, 23 km (14 mi) from Notion, 33 km (21 mi) from Colophon, 38 km (24 mi) from Ephesus, and 40 km (25 mi) from Teos (now in modern-day Seferihisar),^[8] its location along common tourist itineraries aid it in attracting more visitors to the town during the summer.^[3]

The town is about 210 km (130 mi) from the hot springs and historical sites of Pamukkale and Hierapolis.^[17] The large resort and waterpark Adaland can be reached after a 35-minute drive southwards.^[18]

The town reaches approximately 100 m (330 ft) at its highest elevation,^[19] with mountainous terrain surrounding it to the north within the peninsula. This is a result of Turkey's fault block features, the convergence of the Anatolian plate against that of the Aegean, and the wide range of mountains in western Turkey and the Aegean Region surrounding the Büyük Menderes River to the south, a massif collectively referred to as the Menderes Massif.^[20]

Panoramic view of Özdere with the mountains of Dilek Peninsula and Samos in the background

Climate

Özdere has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa), and as a result it receives most of its annual precipitation during its cool to mild winters, of which it is almost completely devoid during its warm, dry summers. With a mean annual temperature of 16.8 °C (62.2 °F), the town has significantly temperate, even subtropical climate characteristics.^[21]

Precipitation amounts range from 2–155 millimetres (0.079–6.102 in), with the highest amounts being in the month of December. Due to the persistent winter precipitation, humidity amounts are the most concentrated during that season, and to a lesser extent in spring.^[22] The lowest average humidity percentages are in June, with the opposite being the case for November. With both shorter days and rainier weather taken into consideration, the town receives substantially less hours of daily sunshine during the winter than in any other season of the year.^[19]

Culture

The current traditions of Özdere's permanent population may have been derived in part from the culture of nomadic Ottoman settlers of the town of Kesri, and such is reflected through the continuation of its traditional attire, marriage customs, and cuisine. The modern culture of Turkey and İzmir generally transcend such traditions and are not usually displayed by even local visitors or tourists, but such still remain in use within the town.^[3]

Özdere as seen after sunset

Some of the older settlements within the town, such as those within Cumhuriyet Mahallesi, exhibit some inhabitants wearing different styles and assortments of shalwar clothing, sweaters in the winter and in colder weather, and in some situations headscarves in the case of married women. Blouses are generally worn with short sleeves, with pants sewn on the sides and from thin fabrics, wide and baggy in appearance. During a wedding, variations of the standard traditional attire may sometimes be worn, including features such as frilly pant sleeves, embroidered patterns and elastic waist belts and bands.^[8]

Indeed, the most prominent displays of Özdere's and Turkey's traditional culture in general are generally found at a wedding. Arranged marriages and the payment of dowry are sometimes opted for in the town, although this is generally not favored by many other Turkish cultures.^[8] However, other wedding traditions are universal, such as the henna night found commonly in many different Islamic cultures including Turkey. The henna night generally takes place the day prior to the wedding and at the bride's home, amongst only women, although there are no firm rules. During the tradition the bride is placed at the center of the ritual, surrounded by her bridesmaids and the woman administering the henna. Folklore and stories are told and songs are sung as the veil is placed over the bride's head, the henna is prepared and brought to the center, and is distributed to her and the guests. In some cases, the henna is administered to the bride first and afterwards to all of her guests, while in others the procedure follows the opposite sequence. The henna is administered by the placing and submerging of one's hands into the chalice or bowl, and if the bride so desires it could also be applied to other parts of her body. Music and entertainment continues until the henna night is concluded, after which comes the wedding and its ceremonies.^[24]

During a typical wedding at Özdere, after all friends and family are invited, traditional Aegean Turkish meals are prepared, zeybek and halay folk dances are performed and clarinet, flute, and tambourine music is played. After the wedding vows are taken and entertainment continues, the venue eventually moves to the groom's house and subsequently ends after all guests leave.^[8][24]

The beach in Orta Mahallesi

Cuisine

The typical cuisine and dishes of Özdere draw influence from local Aegean and Turkish dishes.^[3] Some of the more common meals prepared here include meatball soup with broth and peas (Turkish: topalak),^[25] pastry dough filled with chicken (Turkish: tavuklu börek),^[26] a ceremonial stew prepared on special occasions with barley, wheat, meats and chicken (Turkish: keşkek),^[27] and a soup with embossed dough and meat chunks (Turkish: kulaklı çorba).^[28]

Events

During the summer months, live shows, outdoor concerts and theatrical events are hosted in order to increase public excitement and attract more visitors. Arguably the most important event and exposition occurring in town is the annual International Culture, Arts, and Tourism Festival (Turkish: Uluslararası Kültür, Sanat, ve Turi̇zm Festi̇vali), during which foreign and domestic folklore events, concerts, water sports competitions, and crafts expositions take place. The festival is hosted and begins each year on the second Saturday of July, and continues for two weeks afterwards.^[8] The town hosts a local sports club, officially registered and regulated under the name Özdere Belediye Spor by the Turkish Football Federation.^[29]

Government

An outlook of the town center

On June 3, 1979, Özdere was incorporated as a constituent municipality of Menderes District in İzmir Province, with Arif Sinan being the town's first assigned mayor.^[8] Today, there is a road in Özdere named after him.^[30] The town was partitioned into four politically and geographically distinct neighborhoods, each of which drew the town borders. The town officially had an approximate land area of 85 square kilometres (33 sq mi), and to this day operates under the postal code 35495.^[3][31] The town was led under the authority of several mayors until it elected its final and longest serving mayor, Haldun Ertok of the Republican People's Party (CHP) in 1989.^[8] The town's municipal government allowed it to operate and organize several services and manage affairs independently. In 2008, however, ordinance 5747 of the district government abolished the municipality, officially unincorporated and acquired administration of all municipal services, and dissolved the town's political boundaries and neighborhoods as a merge with the district's seat of Menderes.^[4] In 2014, during the Menderes local elections, incumbent Bülent Soylu of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) won first past the post with 20,654 votes. Ahmet Pala of the CHP had only 20,222 votes, losing by a 432-vote margin.^[32]

The former mayors of Özdere were as follows: Arif Sinan from 1979 until 1980, Hasan Taşkin from 1980 to 1981, from 1981 to 1984 Mecit Gökyokuş, Şükrü Özkan between 1984 and 1989, and finally Haldun Ertok from that point onwards until 2008.^[8] The current mayor of the city of Menderes is Bülent Soylu (AKP),^[1] and the governor of the district is Ahmet Ufuk Hasçakal.^[2]

Near the town, there is a forested reservation known as Kalemlik Milli Parkı, or in some situations Kalemlik Mesire Yeri (English: Kalemlik National Park, Kalemlik Promenade, respectively). This park is currently privately operated and is recognized by the Turkish Ministry of Forest and Water Management.^[33][34][35]

Economy

A residential community in Özdere

Özdere's economy has historically revolved around its agricultural value and for its livestock and fishery farming opportunities. The fertile soil in the area has been cultivated since the earliest Bronze Age settlements, and one of the most important harvests in the area of past and present is that of the Satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu).^[18][36] In later times, the plantation of olives, wine grapes, and other species further aided the town's income and significance. Horned livestock farms, poultry farms and fisheries were always and are still active in the town.^[37] Such services are a significant contributor and once the only factor in the town's economy, however this has changed with the introduction of tourism in the town, spawning hundreds of new businesses and services to satisfy this sole purpose.^[8]

Tourism

A boat navigating the town's coves

In modern-day Özdere, local businesses and even district services are impacted greatly by the fluctuations and abundances of tourist revenue and revenue generated from the purchases and interactions of visitors. The promenades and walkways along the shoreline host numerous taverns, shops and restaurants that cater to visitors.^[38] Exotic jewelry stores and shopping malls within the town center and near the beach and access roads tend to attract tourists^[39] and flaunt their presence to visitors, but to a lesser extent than other nearby and arguably more popular resort towns such as Kuşadası.^[40] In the inner streets, food vendors and farmer's markets operate modestly and see more success during the summer, a high point for tourism in the town when the climate and beach conditions are more favorable.^[40] Travel agencies, rental car and holiday home services, and the like thrive in Özdere due to its high demand and the town's continuous expansion.^[9] The same applies for tour companies and charters.^[9][10]

Tourism in Özdere saw its beginnings in the mid-1960s, when the town was first referred to by its current name, and during which the first tourist resorts began their construction. Today, those same tourist resorts and hotels, known today as the Paloma Club Sultan and the Paloma Pasha Resort have 434 and 268 rooms, respectively.^[41][42] Income from tourism and its industry are estimated to be growing each year, and by the beginning of the 21st century the amount of currency exchanged within the town totaled at approximately 1,000,000,000,000 ₺. With economic growth from tourist revenue still continuing to expand at the same rate, as of the present total tourist revenue for the town without expenses is estimated to be at 4,000,000,000,000 ₺.^[8] The abundance of hotels and resorts are one of the primary factors in the town's exponential summer population expansion.^[10]

Education and health

Özdere has administered elementary, middle and high schools, currently operated under Turkey's Ministry of Education and by the district government.^[8] Each year, Ege University's Institute of Health, Culture, and Sports in İzmir funds educational programs and camps in Özdere.^[43]

From its incorporation in 1979 until its dissolution in 2008, the town has operated its own municipal health center (Turkish: sağlık ocağı), backed by the Ministry of Health. Including this, the town has had and still has some of several doctors, nurses, and midwives, and numerous pharmacies and drugstores.^[8]

Transportation

A metropolitan bus in İzmir

Özdere is situated 45 kilometres (28 mi) from the İzmir Adnan Menderes International Airport. From the airport, share taxis and İzmir's municipal buses can be used to reach the town. The terrain of the Karaburun Peninsula is traversed from north to south by the 35-39 route running from the motorway in the north through Seferihisar and along its southeastern shores to Özdere, and eventually to Kuşadası. The bus stations (Turkish: otogar) in İzmir, Kuşadası, and Seferihisar operate coach buses at varying time intervals to Özdere. Third-party rental car services can be acquired at the town center, and such businesses are a major component of the town's economy and touristic value.^[16]

Harbors along the town's coast and beaches, especially in Orta Mahallesi, host and are hubs of several yacht and tour boat companies. The waters are generally shallow for the first 50–100 metres (160–330 ft), and clear waters aid in navigation of its many bays and coves. Waves and currents in the gulf are usually light or absent, however this can vary depending on tide, sea level, wind speed and wind direction. For such reasons, water tour companies generally operate from around May until November, when the water and climate conditions are more favorable and tourist demand is more active.^[23]

Twin and sister cities

Özdere is twinned with:

• Troisdorf, Germany, since 2004^[44]

Gallery

• 

  The landscape and coast of Özdere

• 

  Özdere's coast viewed from a road edge

• 

  The beach of Özdere

• 

  A tree on one of Özdere's hills

• 

  The rocks along a road near town

• 

  Özdere at twilight

See also

• Claros
• Gulf of Kuşadası
• Kuşadası
• Menderes, İzmir
• Seferihisar

Notes

References

Further reading

• Euphoria Aegean Resort and Spa. "2015 Summer Fact Sheet" (PDF). Retrieved 6 August 2015. 
• Akyol, Okan; Ceyhan, Tevfik (2011). "The Turkish Swordfish Fishery" (PDF). Ege University Faculty of Fisheries, 35440 Urla, Izmir, Turkey: The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT): 1471–1479. Retrieved 6 August 2015. 
• Ceyhan, Tevfik; Akyol, Okan (2014). "On the Turkish Surface Longline Fishery Targeting Swordfish in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea" (PDF). Ege University, Faculty of Fisheries, 35100, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey: Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences: 825–830. doi:10.4194/1303-2712-v14_3_25. ISSN 1303-2712. Retrieved 6 August 2015. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Özdere.

• Official website

Settlements in Menderes (Cumaovası) District, İzmir, Turkey Municipalities: Menderes (Cumaovası) Değirmendere Görece Gümüldür Oğlananası Özdere Tekeli